Well written kept my interest.A book set in Boston in the 50s a Jewish family who had escaped Germany .We follow life in the 50s the family the interactions in their world.#netgalley #mymothersson

this was a great debut novel, you could really tell how much passion the author had. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Unfortunately, this book did not appeal to me. The writing style was not coherent and didn't flow well. I just could not get interested in the story. Thank you to NetGalley and Fig Tree Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I’m afraid this one just didn’t work for me, and after a while I began to find it tedious and unengaging. It was too drawn out, too repetitive, and at times even somewhat incoherent. A bit of editing wouldn’t have come amiss. It’s narrated by a radio host looking back over his life as he prepares to retire, focussing especially on the summer of 1952 when he comes of age as he begins to learn his family’s secrets. The Holocaust is there simmering in the background, which is a familiar trope, and here nothing new was brought to the table. Characterisation and dialogue verged on the stereotypical at times and although I enjoyed the gradual reveal, and admittedly the pacing was good, overall I found myself impatient for the story to finish as the book occasionally seemed to lose focus. It’s not a bad book, by any means, but one that simply failed to draw me in and convince.

A work of fiction which reads like a very believable memoir. A young boy tells the detailed story of his Jewish family living in Boston in the 50's. He learns how his family came from Germany and their life history. This is a story of life, the hopes and reality.

My Mother’s Son is a coming of age story for a Joel, a young Jewish boy, growing up in Boston. The majority of the story takes place over the summer of 1952. It is during this particular summer that Joel realizes “When you’re a kid, they (adults), don’t always tell you the truth.” They tell you what’s convenient for them. This was certainly more easily achieved (by parents) in 1952, long before the internet.

The story expands from, looking at what is happening in Joel’s own family, to include also their neighborhood, metropolitan Boston, Washington DC, and the war in Korea. It (the summer of ‘52), was a season of major upheavals, especially for baseball in Boston, the Braves were leaving 😞.

The story is written like a memoir, and it is during that summer that Joel discovers three (very significant) family secrets. There are some extremely heartbreaking passages, but these are definitely counterbalanced by plenty of lighter moments.

The book is broad in scope so you really become immersed into the early 50’s. Hirshberg throws in Hebrew, Yiddish, as well as some Irish and Italian. I really enjoyed everything about this book and I highly recommend it. Thank you @netgalley for my copy in exchange for my review. #5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@hershy1949 #bostonbraves #kennedy #fens #hamburg #ostrich #southie #eastboston #baseball #foulball #kristallnacht #thetroubles #nightofbrokenglass

I started out feeling very engaged with this book and looking forward to reading more about this time period in Boston. But the pacing of the book seemed slow and bogged down oddly in some places and it became tedious. Maybe some edits would help.

I tried twice to read this and just couldn’t get into it. The beginning characters were a little confusing, as was the timeline ( for me). I would recommend this to historical fiction fans to try. I think it is just not for me right now (I hope).

The year 1952 was a big one for 12 year old Joel and his gang--his older brother Stephen, Noodge Mauer, Myandrew. and Frankie--living in Boston amidst a colorful cast of characters. The boys are enterprising and nosy and, among other things, wind up in a scheme to keep the Boston Braves baseball team from moving to Milwaukee. Joel's Jewish family history provides a backdrop to the goings-on.

The story in this book is good. It brings us back to the 1950s before the polio vaccine, WWII was still fresh on everyone's mind, the Korean War was now being fought, and baseball was still America's number one sport. The story involves two young Jewish brothers who learn of their father's part in the corrupt Boston politics after they unwittingly become part of it, and the one brother's finding out a huge family secret. The backdrop of family relatives dealing with the effects of the Holocaust was compelling.
The problem for me is the telling of the story. I found it dragged out so much that I could hardly keep my attention to it. I actually started skimming through it just to get to the end, which it seemed would never come. I wish much of the rumination on every page and the grandfather's stories had been edited down because they interrupted the flow of the story. Even after that, I am still thinking of the story and wishing it had been the kind of book I could just drop into and feel like I was a part of it. It could have been a great book.

The book was ok, but I lost interest half way through. I felt that the dialogue was too complicated, and lacked interest for me

As someone who usually prefers stories by or about women, this gripping novel about 2 brothers in 1952 Boston genuinely captured my attention and is now one of my favorite books of 2020!

Although most of this story took place in Boston in the 1950s, the plot also reached back to describe events in 1922 and 1938 (in Germany, around Kristallnacht), and provided brief but helpful follow-ups during the 5 or 6 decades after the Korean War. These gave the book a unique feeling of completeness that was ultra-satisfying. Everything felt wrapped up and resolved...well, sort of.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the story was that I was never quite certain what was “true” because the author would cleverly reveal another “truth” later, using childhood innocence, or other “excuses,” to explain the earlier “misunderstanding.” The story also incorporated a coming-of-age theme, with deep insights into the characters. But the plot was also filled with plenty of action...politics, baseball, gambling, war tales. I couldn’t wait to pick it up again in the morning!

Extremely highly recommended for lovers of historical fiction, murder mysteries, and YA. Thank you NetGalley for providing the book in exchange for my honest review.